U.S. Anti-obesity Drugs Market Size, Share, Analysis, By Type (Prescription Drugs and Over-the-counter (OTC) Drugs), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy and Retail and Online Pharmacy), and Country Forecast, 2024-2032

The U.S. anti-obesity drugs market size was worth USD 2.70 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 26.2% during the forecast period.

Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risks of health problems. It increases the risk of several debilitating diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Obesity results from inherited, physiological, and environmental factors. The prevalence of obesity has increased due to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets.

According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2022, all 50 states of the U.S. have an obesity rate of over 20%. It was further estimated that a little over 42% of American adults have obesity, while about 30.7% are overweight. Overall, more than two-thirds of the U.S. adults are overweight or have obesity.

However, it has been observed that the U.S. tend to implement awareness programs and campaigns to educate people about healthy lifestyles. Increasing awareness will encourage the patient population to seek medical treatment. This will drive the demand for effective therapeutic measures such as anti-obesity drugs.

The outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted the anti-obesity drugs market growth due to a decline in the number of hospital visits. However, the adoption of telemedicine and the increased procurement of these medications through online pharmacies helped minimize the negative impact on the market.

LATEST TRENDS

Increased Usage of Existing Diabetes Drugs as Weight Loss Medications

One of the prevailing trends witnessed in the U.S. anti-obesity drugs market is that several medications used for diabetes treatment are currently being considered for the treatment of obesity. Some medications that help manage diabetes are also helping with weight loss or help with weight loss alone. These medications suppress appetite, prevent overeating, and inhibit fat absorption by increasing energy consumption, which helps in weight loss.

• For instance, Semaglutide is a class of medications that slows down the emptying of the stomach, so the food stays for a longer duration in it. It’s a weekly injection mainly used to treat diabetes but also has the added benefit of causing weight loss.

DRIVING FACTORS

Increasing Prevalence of Comorbidities to Drive the Adoption Rate of Anti-obesity Drugs

There is a strong relationship between the comorbidities and obesity. These comorbidities include insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, gall bladder diseases, and certain type of cancers. Moreover, the medications used to treat these comorbidities can have several side effects, among which weight gain is the most common.

Many medications commonly prescribed for diabetes, depression, and other chronic diseases have weight effects, leading to weight gain or loss. For example, drugs used to treat mental illness, particularly antipsychotic medications, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, glucocorticoids, and some drugs used to treat migraine, causes weight gain as a side effect. These agents also have peripheral metabolic effects that increase the risk of obesity-related complications. This led to an increase in the patient pool seeking obesity treatment. Further, this drives the demand for anti-obesity drugs as an effective therapeutic measure.

• According to a study published by the Obesity Society in December 2021, it was found that 1 in 5 U.S. adults take at least one medication that causes weight gain, in which the most common was beta-blockers and diabetes drugs such as insulin and sulfonylureas.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2022 data, the prevalence of obesity was the highest in West Virginia (40.7%), followed by Alabama with 40.4%.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Stringent Regulatory Process May Limit the Market Growth

One of the substantial factors limiting the U.S. anti-obesity drugs market growth is the stringent guidelines associated with the regulatory process for novel anti-obesity drugs. As per the FDA approval process for obesity drugs, the risks and benefits of drugs are considered against three categories. These comprise against people who are obese with no other health consequences, against those who are obese and well, and against those who are obese and sick.

Such a complicated regulatory process limits the study population used for investigational drug clinical trials and impedes clinical studies. Such regulatory requirements prevent the market players from investing in drug development which may limit the market growth during the forecast period.

SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

By type, the market is segmented into prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.

The prescription drugs segment dominated the U.S. anti-obesity drugs market share in 2022. The dominance of this segment is attributed to the increasing number of people seeking treatment for weight loss and the availability of more prescription drugs than OTC drugs across the country.

• For instance, till 2022, the FDA has approved five drugs which include naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), orlistat (Xenical, Alli), liraglutide (Saxenda), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), and semaglutide (Wegovy) for long term use. Setmelanotide (IMCIVREE), a sixth approved drug, is limited to people diagnosed with one of three specific rare genetic disorders, which must be confirmed by genetic testing. In November 2023, Lilly received approval for Zepbound (tirzepatide) for the treatment of obesity.


• Moreover, only Alli is available as an over-the-counter drug out of these approved drugs. The limited availability of over-the-counter drugs for obesity increases the patient pool for prescription drugs.

By Distribution Channel Analysis

Based on distribution channel, the U.S. market is segmented into hospital pharmacy and retail and online pharmacy.

The retail and online pharmacy segment held a dominant share of the U.S. market in 2022. The dominance of this segment is attributed to the increasing number of retail and online pharmacies across the country. These online platforms deliver the medication to the doorstep, making the procedure more affordable than in a hospital setting. This ease in accessibility and convenience is increasing the preference of the patient population for procuring medications through these platforms. These factors are contributing to the segment’s growth during the forecast period.

• According to an article published by the Commonwealth Fund in August 2021, there are roughly 60,000 retail pharmacies in the U.S. Of these, one-third are independent and two-thirds are retail chains, supermarkets, or mass retailers.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

The market is consolidated and dominated by a few players. In the current scenario, Novo Nordisk A/S holds the apex position, owing to the strong sales performance exhibited by its anti-obesity drug Saxenda and Wegovy in the year 2022. GSK plc holds a considerable share in the U.S. market due to its over-the-counter offering drug named Alli.

Other key players included in the anti-obesity drugs industry are Novartis AG, VIVUS LLC., and Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC, and others. The companies are adopting strategic initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions to expand and establish their footprints in this market more firmly.

Some of the emerging players in this market include Lilly, Altimmune, Zealand Pharma, Hamni, Regor Therapeutics, Sciwind Biosciences, and vTv Therapeutics. These companies are actively investing in accelerating and supporting the development of their pipeline candidates to increase their share in the market.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• Novo Nordisk A/S (Denmark)


• GSK plc (U.K.)


• VIVUS LLC. (U.S.)


• Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC (U.S.)


• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland)


• Pfizer Inc. (U.S.)


• Sandoz International GmbH (Novartis AG) (Germany)


• Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (Germany)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• July 2023 – Capital Rx in partnership with Virta Health and launched Rx Reverse which is a high-touch, provider-led, integrated clinical program. The program has been designed to meet the growing demand for GLP-1 drugs approved for diabetes and weight loss.


• May 2023 – A startup company named Noom launched a program focused on offering telehealth services and prescribe weight loss drug Wegovy in the U.S.


• December 2022 – Amgen Inc., announced positive results of the phase I clinical trial of its investigational bispecific molecule AMG 133 and showcased 14.5% reduction in body weight at the highest dose after 12 weeks.

REPORT COVERAGE

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The U.S. anti-obesity drugs market report provides a detailed analysis of the market. It focuses on key aspects such as the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. and pipeline analysis. In addition, it includes new product launches by key players, key industry developments, and the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Besides this, the report also offers insights into the market trends and highlights key industry dynamics. In addition to the aforementioned factors, it encompasses several factors that have contributed to the growth of the market over recent years.

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